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A Florida woman who posed as a nurse and treated more than 4,400 patients without a license was sentenced this week to probation and community service after pleading no contest, avoiding jail time in what has been called a highly disturbing case.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that Autumn Bardisa, 29, of Palm Coast, pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful practice of health care and fraudulent use of references.
District Judge Dawn Nichols did not rule and sentenced Bardisa to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service as part of the plea deal.
He must also write a letter of apology to the nurse who used his license number.
As part of the plea agreement, Bardisa had her nursing license revoked after her arrest from the Florida Department of Health and is prohibited from practicing medicine during her probation.
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Police say Autumn Bardisa posed as a licensed nurse and provided medical care to more than 4,400 patients. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)
Bardisa was charged with seven counts of unlicensed medical practice and seven counts of fraudulently using identity information following a seven-month investigation.
Authorities say she treated more than 4,400 patients between June 2024 and January 2025, while falsely posing as a licensed nurse at AdventHealth.
Investigators determined that Bardisa never had a valid nursing license at the time and instead used the license number of another nurse who had her first name.
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Authorities say Autumn Bardisa used the stolen ID to treat thousands of patients (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)
The case stems from a months-long investigation involving federal and state health agencies after hospital officials discovered that Bardisa allegedly used another nurse’s license number and falsified records to get a job as a senior nurse.
Investigators said Bardisa initially applied under the term “education first”, which is commonly used for nurses who have not yet passed their licensing exam. He later said he had completed the test and provided the license number of a different nurse with the same name.
To explain the inconsistency, Bardisa told hospital staff that she had recently changed her surname after marriage but did not produce the letters when asked to verify the claim.
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A generic stock photo of a police car’s headlights was shot on September 8, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service)
Despite missing documents, Bardisa was promoted in January 2025, according to investigators. Concerns arose when a co-worker independently checked her credentials and discovered she had an expired nursing assistant license, prompting hospital officials to alert authorities.
The program unraveled after that discovery, which led to his termination and a wide-ranging criminal investigation involving multiple agencies.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Bardisa’s actions put patients at risk and undermined trust in the medical profession.
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“Nursing is a noble profession to care for those in need, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and she chose the wrong way by using a real nurse’s license,” Staly said, adding that her actions “may put patients at risk.”
Staly said Bardisa has “disrupted his career” and will not be able to work in the medical field for at least three to five years under the terms of his probation.
Authorities previously described the case as one of the most significant cases of health fraud investigated by the agency.
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Officials said anyone who believes they may have been treated by Bardisa can contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
